A processing apparatus which processes a processing object in an airtight state is known. For example, an apparatus is known which carries out a process for loading and melting a silicon material which is a processing object into and in a processing apparatus and solidifying the melted silicon material to fabricate single crystal silicon which is a material for a semiconductor substrate. In the fabrication process of single crystal silicon, the inside of the processing apparatus is placed in a special atmosphere different from that in the open air. For example, the inside of the processing apparatus is placed in an inactive gas atmosphere or a vacuum atmosphere.
And, also a processing object loading apparatus for loading a processing object from the outside into the inside of the processing apparatus in an airtight state is known (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).
The processing object loading apparatus (silicon granulation supplying apparatus) disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a hopper, a feeder, a housing, a quartz port and a bellows. The hopper is provided for accommodating silicon granulation into the inside of the housing having an inactive gas atmosphere, and the feeder for feeding a processing object (silicon granulation) is provided below the hopper. The quartz port is connected to the housing through the bellows. The quartz port is partly inserted in the inside of a processing apparatus (heating furnace) and communicated with the inside of the heating furnace. The insides of the silicon granulation supplying apparatus and the heating furnace are placed in an airtight state. In particular, the inside is placed in an inactive gas atmosphere. More particularly, the insides of the silicon granulation supplying apparatus and the heating furnace are placed in the same inactive gas atmosphere. Consequently, silicon granulation can be loaded from the hopper into the inside of the heating furnace through the quartz port in an airtight state (inactive gas atmosphere).
Also a processing object loading apparatus (mold charge supplying apparatus) disclosed in Patent Document 2 has a basic configuration similar to that of the apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1. The processing object loading apparatus (mold charge supplying apparatus) includes a hopper, a trough, a vibration section, a mold charge loading chamber and a shooter. The mold charge loading chamber is placed in a vacuum atmosphere and the hopper for accommodating a processing object (mold charge) is provided in the inside of the mold charge loading chamber. The trough for feeding a mold charge and the vibration section are provided below the hopper. The shooter is partly inserted in the inside of a processing apparatus (vacuum chamber) and is communicated with the inside of the vacuum chamber. The mold charge loading chamber and the vacuum chamber are configured so as to be sealed from the outside air, and the insides of the chambers are placed in an airtight state. In particular, the insides of the chambers are placed in a vacuum atmosphere. More particularly, the insides of the mold charge supplying apparatus and the vacuum chamber are placed in the same vacuum atmosphere. Consequently, a mold charge can be loaded from the hopper to the inside of the vacuum chamber through the shooter in an airtight state (vacuum atmosphere).
Incidentally, in the processing object loading apparatus (silicon granulation supplying apparatus) disclosed in Patent Document 1, if silicon granulation must be supplemented into the hopper because of consumption of silicon granulation accommodated in the hopper, then a lid provided on the housing is opened and silicon granulation is supplemented into the hopper. Further, in the processing object loading apparatus (mold charge supplying apparatus) disclosed in Patent Document 2, when it becomes necessary to supplement a mold charge into the hopper because of consumption of a mold charge accommodated in the hopper, a vacuum door provided for the mold charge loading chamber is opened and a mold charge is supplemented into the hopper through the opening.
However, both of the processing object loading apparatus (silicon granulation supplying apparatus and mold charge supplying apparatus) are communicated with the inside of a processing apparatus. Therefore, if it is tried to supplement a processing object during processing by the processing apparatus, then the inside of the processing apparatus is opened to the outside air in accordance with opening of the processing object loading apparatus (opening of a lid or a vacuum door). As a result, an airtight state (special atmosphere) maintained till then is broken. Consequently, supplementation of the processing object cannot be carried out during processing and need be carried out after the processing. Therefore, there is a problem that idle time (operation stopping time) increases.